TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire) - Bombardier Aerospace today celebrated the 1,000th Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft -- a Q400 NextGen airliner, delivered to Pinnacle Airlines -- and the 400th Global business jet in a commemorative ceremony at the company's Toronto facility where the aircraft are manufactured.

The historic event was attended by aviation stalwarts, representatives of the municipal, provincial and federal governments, customers, suppliers, media, company leaders, retirees and the almost 4,000-strong workforce at the Toronto site.

As we celebrate the 1,000th Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft and the 400th Global business jet, we are reminded of the long heritage of Bombardier's Toronto site," said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "These milestone aircraft are part of a more than 80-year tradition of excellent technological achievement in Ontario. Today, we salute the employees, past and present, who have worked at this site."

During the event, the Canadian Air & Space Museum presented Bombardier Aerospace's Toronto site with a Canadian Air & Space Pioneer award in recognition of the Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft program.

"With almost 4,000 employees, Bombardier Aerospace's Toronto facility is one of the largest employers in Toronto, which is one of just a few cities in the world that build aircraft," said Simon Roberts, Vice President and General Manager, Turboprops and Toronto Operations. "The achievement of the 1,000th Dash 8/Q-Series and 400th Global aircraft is testament to the strong capability of this facility and our role as a key player in the international aerospace industry."

Dash 8/Q-Series aircraftWhen the Dash 8-100 aircraft was launched in 1980 and entered revenue service in 1984, it was the first of what would become new-generation turboprop aircraft. The delivery of the 1,000th aircraft confirms the Dash 8/Q-Series program as one of the most successful regional aircraft programs in history.

The Dash 8 aircraft helped propel regional airlines into the modern era, turning small air taxi operators flying small piston-powered airplanes into the sophisticated operations they are today.

As the market grew, and regional airlines sought more capacity, the family was developed to include the 50- to 56-seat Dash 8-300 and 70- to 80-seat Dash 8-400 airliners by stretching the fuselage and adapting new technology to benefit operators. By 1996, technological innovations, led by the Active Noise and Vibration Suppression (ANVS) system, facilitated the rebranding of the Dash 8 aircraft as the Q-Series family of turboprop airliners; Q stands for quiet, and today's Q400 NextGen turboprop is the torchbearer of this world-class technology.

Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft are currently in service with more than 100 operators all over the world. In addition to their primary role as regional airliners, many are being used in an array of missionized operations such as corporate and cargo transport, medical evacuation, airways and navigation aid calibration, navigator training and maritime patrol.

Global aircraftGlobal aircraft gained instant worldwide recognition for design and performance when Bombardier first introduced the Global Express in 1996. At that time, and for some 15 years, it was the only ultra long-range business jet designed and engineered from a clean sheet to provide precious time savings to corporate and government leaders in the industry's most comfortable and productive cabin.

Flying faster, farther than any other business aircraft, the original Global Express jet demonstrated its capabilities through 17 world speed records.

The original Global Express jet paved the way for the Global aircraft family we know today, which includes the Global 5000, Global Express XRS, and upcoming Global 7000 and Global 8000 jets.

Global 5000 jet: The super large Global 5000 jet combines superior transatlantic speed with the largest cabin in its market segment. It features high-speed Internet connectivity, unmatched entertainment options, a heads-up flight display system, and one of the largest field-of-view of any business aircraft. With a range of 5,200 NM (9,630 km), the jet can connect city pairs such as London-Los Angeles, Sao Paulo-Paris, Hong Kong-Wellington, New York-Honolulu and Dubai-Perth at Mach 0.85 (561 mph; 904 km/h) non-stop with eight passengers and three crew(i).

Global Express XRS jet: The Global Express XRS business jet's superior performance and cabin volume make it a leader in the ultra long-range jet category. Offering the ultimate in cabin comfort, this impressive jet can link Toluca-Paris, Hong Kong-Los Angeles or Perth-Honolulu non-stop with eight passengers and three-to-four crew(i). The Global Express XRS jet is now available with the Global Vision flight deck, featuring a state-of-the-art avionics suite paired with superior design aesthetics to create the ultimate flight control environment and providing Global aircraft pilots with an unprecedented level of situational awareness and comfort.

Global 7000 jet: Featuring a spacious four-zone cabin, this aircraft sets the benchmark for a new category of large business jets. With a volume of 2,637 cu. ft. (74.67 cu. m.), passengers will enjoy 20 per cent more living space than the cabin of the current industry leader. The aircraft will have a high-speed cruise of M 0.90 and a range of 7,300 nm (13,520 km) at M 0.85(i). It will fly London-Singapore, New York-Dubai or Beijing-Washington non-stop with 10 passengers(i). Entry into service is scheduled for 2016(ii).

Global 8000 jet: Flying farther than any other business jet, the Global 8000 aircraft will feature a superior three-zone 2,236-cu.ft. (63.32-cu.m.) cabin and an impressive range of 7,900 nm (14,631 km) at M 0.85(i). It will connect Sydney-Los Angeles, Hong Kong-New York and Mumbai-New York non-stop with eight passengers(i). The Global 8000 jet will reach a high speed cruise of M 0.90. Entry into service is scheduled for 2017(ii).

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Bombardier

A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2010, were $19.4 billion, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com

Notes to EditorsPhotos from today's event will be available in the press releases section at: www.bombardier.com.

Videos will be available at approximately 5:00 p.m. EST at: http://www.youtube.com/bombardiervideos.

(i) Under certain operating conditions

(ii) Currently under development and subject to changes without notice.